Don't Stop.

It took me this long to come to terms with The Sopranos ending. It has literally all I've been thinking about since the shocking, jaw dropping moment of "Did the f-king cable just go out??"

Speaking from other episodes it was very low key. Since everyone in America is sitting on the edge of the seam of their couch watching, waiting, watching, waiting.


It tied up a few things, such as Tony going to finally see Junior. Janice is more of the same: money, money, money. She tried to get money out of Junior, by trying to find out where his stash is, doesn't seem too fazed that her husband is gone, only his money. Prompting Tony to go see Junior and tell him if her remembers where the money is, tell Uncle Pat, give it to Bobby's kids, NOT Janice. Good For T.


Phil gets popped, so to speak. Perfect scene, and the added bit about getting his head run over was brilliant. I was so happy to see Phil get it, as I thought the 'sit down' between The Sopranos and the NY family could have been a set up.; making us all believe Tony was safe, but he really ends up getting it. So the tension still builds.


But hey you know what? If you're reading this and you watched you know all this.




Favorite moments

The cat, good Lord, the cat. How hilarious was this? Is it Christophuh or Adriana reincarnated? One school of thought is Paulie and Chris didn't like each other, so it's him. But my money is on Adriana, after what they did to her, she haunts them by sitting and staring at Christophuh's photo. Hilarious.

Tony peeling an orange. Uh-oh! Godfather alert! He's gonna get it.

Our Lady of the Bada Bing. Why didnt ya tell me? We coulda opened a shrine....oh my God, too funny.

The ketchup bottle. I spit water across the room, I swear.

Harris yelling 'we're gonna win this one!' We gotta thank Harris for a lot. And how similar their personalities are. If he doesn't tell them that Phil is making calls from a pay phone at a gas station in Oyster Bay...

Let's review some of the Grassy Knoll-ish mist hanging over this episode.

Where does one begin?

This entire last scene, which I have watched 5 times now, is so surreal, and so odd, it makes you think you're back in Tony's dreams and he's Kevin Finnerty again. The beauty and genius of The Sopranos is you're constantly watching the background, listening to the music, looking for clues to answer all your questions. It's not played out right in front of you, where you say "oh!" and go on. You MUST pay attention to everything.

As we all know now, Carmela chooses Holsten's for dinner. An odd choice for a rich family, but my take on it is this will be their life after Tony goes into Witness Protection. No more expensive dinners at Artie Bucco's or anywhere else for that matter.

Tony arrives. Now, many people have taken this initial scene as he's looking at himself sitting in a booth. But if you watch it again, you will see what it actually is is a camera angle switch. He's looking at the booths, empty, then a scene change, he's sitting there and it makes you think he's looking at himself. But in reality, all he did was sit down. Is this a mindf-k by Chase? IS he looking at himself? Up to you to decide.

He sits and goes through all the songs on the jukebox, where the titles are ALL key. (Magic Man, You Keep Me Hanging On, Any Way You Want It, This Magic Moment - brilliant) But he chooses "Don't Stop Believin'", whose lyrics in many ways are absolutely perfect and seem written for this scene-

Just a small town girl, livin in a lonely world
She took the midnight train goin anywhere
Just a city boy, born and raised in south Detroit
He took the midnight train goin anywhere

A singer in a smokey room
A smell of wine and cheap perfume
For a smile they can share the night
It goes on and on and on and on
Strangers waiting, up and down the boulevard
Their shadows searching in the night
Streetlight people, living just to find emotion
Hiding, somewhere in the night

Working hard to get my fill, (Phil??)
Everybody wants a thrill
Payin anything to roll the dice,
Just one more time
Some will win, some will lose
Some were born to sing the blues
Oh, the movie never ends
It goes on and on and on and on(chorus)

Don't stop believin
Hold on to the feelin
Streetlight people

I thought when AJ enters at exactly the same time as the mysterious counter guy was done brilliantly, looks as if they are one person, and *I* think the counter guy looks exactly like Tony's father. His father is mentioned earlier when he's talking to Junior. Now, we haven't seen him much, but way back there was a scene with the father and I SWEAR that's who that was, but moving on.

Of course the looming question is did the guy at the counter or the two gangsta types shoot
Tony. Was the sudden, maddeningly, looooong black screen and the sudden interruption of the song (the last thing you hear is 'stop') the end of Tony's mind? Were we seeing it from his point of view? Remember in the first episode this season he has the conversation with Bobby and it is said do you hear it when it comes? They also replayed that snippet in the previous episode 'Blue Comet'. As I understand it, 'Blue Comet' was supposed to be the last episode. Last scene, Tony lying in the dark, machine gun or whatever, across his chest, the camera swtiches and closes in on the door, where he's waiting for someone to come and kill him. Sidebar - the bed had no sheets, but at the beginning of the final show, it all made up. Hmmmmmmm.

Every time the door opened and that little bell rang, he looks up. Are we seeing that this is his life now? Nervous, suspicious, watching everyone around him, waiting to get whacked? And how about Meadow? Good LORD, where did this girl learn to park? You could have parked a 747 in that spot. By this time, I was sitting so far onto the seam of my couch (with a pillow in both hands near my face), heart beating, ready to vomit from the tension, I thought my head would explode. There HAD to be a reason it was taking Meadow the better part of a month to park such a small car, to keep her out of the diner, right? RIGHT?

The guy at the counter keeps looking at them. Now, I heard someone on TV and someone at the HBO boards said the guy at the counter was listed in the credits as Nikki Leotardo - Phil's nephew. I gotta tell ya, I've watched the credits five freakin' times and I do not see anyone listed as Nikki Leotardo. But I will look again. David Chase said the next day it's all there if you look. Now, if there IS a Nikki Leotrado, then Tony IS dead. Phil was shot and killed in front of his wife and grandchildren. Why not return the favor to Tony? Kill him in front of HIS family Does he come out of the bathroom a la Michael Corleone and shoot Tony??

Ugh. Or is it life goes on for The Sopranos. Carmela, the religious mob wife who abbors her husband's doings, but doesn't mind all the material possessions and money it's gotten her, easier to look the other way from all the cheating, murder and God knows what. AJ, the absolute flake, spoiled brat idiot. Notice his depression vaporized as soon as he got a movie job, a Beemer and a looker for a girl. Meadow. Ah, yes, Meadow, the good girl, who is still in some netherworld about what her father actually does for a living. Remember her words to Tony? Italians are put upon and after seeing him dragged away by the FBI....yeah, yeah, yeah.

So we are left to make up our own minds. People have poured over this since Sunday.

I don't know what to think 100%. Most of me thinks Tony survives, flips to the FBI, and goes into Witness Protection. After all, his family means everything to him, and the only way they will all be safe is to 'go into hiding'. Although a brilliant argument could be made for his lights went out when our screens went silent and black.

Initially, I was mad as a hornet, but as time passed I see the brilliance of it all. A complete and utter mindf-k by David Chase. The whole country, screaming their cable went out at once, people arguing over did he live or get whacked, searching for clues like the Kennedy Assassination or the Paul Is Dead phenomenon. No one gave a rats ass what new show was on directly after, everyone was in shock, and rewinding.

How I will miss the brilliance, the deft comedic writing, all of it. Yes, people without conscience, every single one of them, but what fun they were.

Bada Bing.

And Don't Stop Believin'